Reuse of dredged marine soils as landfill liner: Effect of pH on Escherichia coli growth

Abstract

A potential reuse area yet to be explored is the utilization of dredged marine soils (DMS) as geosorbent to retain pathogenic bacteria in landfill leachate. The use of DMS as geosorbent in landfill site could be considered as a new way of environmental friendly solid waste management. By laying DMS at the base of landfill like conventional clay liners, the geowaste could be simultaneously disposed of and act as passive geosorbent for microbes in leachate. DMS are known to serve as a hospitable environment for bacteria growth. Environmental factors such as soil’s pH, salinity and particle size could affect the bacteria growth rate. This study investigated the effect range of pH value on the growth of indicator bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from landfill leachate. The results showed that the number of E. coli grew higher in alkaline compared to acidic condition. Findings from this study will serve as a base for future studies for removing bacteria in leachate using DMS as geosorbent in a landfill site.